College and University Counseling

The mission of the RFS College Counseling Office is to help each student consider a range of college options suited to his or her talents and interests, and, ultimately, matriculate to a college that will be an excellent match. The college counselor works to facilitate this process by providing assistance throughout the transition. As Quaker school educators, we aspire to help students in the way of self-discovery and knowledge; therefore, we encourage them to not only consider colleges and universities based on the prestige factor, but rather on academic and social suitability for the pursuit of personal growth. With this approach we honor the diversity of achievement, interests, aspirations, and backgrounds that our students represent.

Admissions Officers

If you are traveling in the region, we would love to welcome you to our campus! The Friends School holds classes on Mondays through Thursdays and on Saturdays. Our current academic calendar, noting holidays and test days, is available here. We are happy to advise on travel logistics such as transportation to and from our campus.

We also welcome virtual presentations via Skype or other online platforms. For more information about scheduling a visit, either in person or online, please contact Samer Hjouj.

If you would like to stay informed about college counseling news and trends at the Friends School, please subscribe to our bi-annual college newsletter.

Application Process For Students

During the first semester of junior year (11th grade), each student will be asked to complete a very brief survey about his or her college preferences, with focus on the subject(s) and geographic region(s) or countries in which the student is interested. The College Counselor uses this information both as the starting point for the advising process with individual students and to organize workshops or distribute materials related to the interests and needs of groups of students within the class.

Based on survey responses, the College Counselor will provide each student with a guidebook outlining the application process for the country or countries that student is interested in. The student is responsible for reviewing this information before his or her individual meeting with the College Counselor.

Early in the second semester of junior year, the College Counselor will arrange individual meetings with students to discuss each student’s academic profile, standardized testing requirements and plan, and priorities for college selection. The counselor and student will draw up a list of colleges for the student to investigate. During the rest of the student’s junior year, and throughout senior year, the College Counselor and student will arrange follow-up meetings as needed.

All students, regardless of what country or countries they are applying to, are expected to submit a final university list near the beginning of senior year (12th grade) so that application deadlines and requirements can be confirmed and students can prepare and submit applications on time.

At any time, students of all ages have access to the hard copies of university brochures available in the College Counseling office. 10th - 12th grade students also have access to Family Connection, which provides additional resources including guidebooks, financial aid and scholarship information, checklists, or other university planning information. Students and parents are invited to participate in a range of counseling activities such as presentations by visiting admissions representatives, alumni college fairs, and other workshops. These opportunities primarily target students in 10th grade and older. All activities are announced by email.